


stop the world and melt with you

by chasingforeverandaday



Series: many, many friends [2]
Category: Edgar Allan Poe's Murder Mystery Dinner Party (Web Series)
Genre: Banter, F/M, First Date, First Kiss, Innuendo, Makeouts, Sorry Not Sorry, and a bunch of the rest of them show up too, because Oscar has a dirty mind, because he pouted and made sad puppy eyes at Lenore, but this is all about Lenore and HG, okay now Edgar does get his own tag, snarking, these two just cannot catch a break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-09-24 17:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9776792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasingforeverandaday/pseuds/chasingforeverandaday
Summary: Once he'd worked up enough nerve, asking Lenore Poe on a date was the easiest thing HG Wells had ever done.As for actually managing to go on said date, that is an entirely different story.AKA all the first dates HG and Lenore never managed to have.





	1. I saw the world crashing all around your face

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to start posting this on Friday, but I conveniently forgot how busy work was going to be, which was really dumb on my part. (I work at my family's flower shop; we had our two busiest days in the 101 year history of the shop over Valentine's Day)  
> (it was exhausting) (my parents and I had champagne and Hooters for dinner last night) (at 9:30) (we had a bitchfest) (it was fun)
> 
> Anyways, this has been stewing around in my brain for the past few weeks. I have the next two chapters done, and most of the last, but the fourth one is giving me headaches. Keeping that in mind, I am hoping to post these pretty regularly, and that giving myself a timeline will help. I also have a few chapters of 'Past is Prologue' that are partially done, so those should be coming out too.
> 
> The title of the story and each of the chapters come from Modern English's "Melt with You," otherwise known as one of my favorite songs ever. I would totally recommend listening to it while reading chapters 2-5, but "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors is probably more appropriate for this one.
> 
> If you have any questions, comments, or other thoughts, let me know below, I love responding to everyone.

Two nights before his date with Lenore, HG was pacing around his kitchen, unable to come up with an idea he found adequate for more than a minute with regards to Saturday. He could take her out to dinner, but that was something they did all the time, it wouldn’t feel special. They could always go see a show on Broadway, but Lenore and Oscar saw shows all the time and he didn’t want to accidentally take her to one she’d seen before. They could go see a movie, just as they had when they’d met, but then they wouldn’t be able to talk. And one of the things he loved to do most with Lenore was talk about anything and everything that popped into their heads.

And even though HG had been a stuttering mess, nearly to the point of incoherency, when he asked her if she wanted to go on a date, Lenore couldn’t hold in the luminescent smile stretching across her face. Her answer was an immediate, “Of course! Yes, I’d love to!” before being dragged off by Oscar to gossip. And so here he was.

As he continued to agonize over what to do, his phone rang from where it was charging on the counter. As HG picked it up, he saw it was Edgar calling, a rather rare occurrence, as the man barely remembered to keep his phone charged most days. 

Before he could even say hello, Edgar was speaking rapidly. Alarmingly rapidly. “HG, you need to get to the hospital, it’s Lenore. She collapsed earlier and the doctors haven’t really told me anything yet. She would want you here.”

Feeling shellshocked, HG stumbled into the counter, grasping it so as not to fall to the floor. He tried to speak, to respond, but no words would come out. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Where?”

“She collapsed at our apartment, where else do you think she would have been?”

Exasperation giving HG his voice back, he retorted, “No Edgar, where are you now? What hospital do I need to be at?”

“Presbyterian, the one here in Queens. It’s-” 

“I know where it is!” Deep breath. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“I’m in the waiting room near the ER, I’ll let you know if they tell me anything new..”

“Thank you, do you know if she…” HG trailed off, unable to finish his sentence when he had no idea what he wanted to say.

“She wants you to be here, even if she can’t actually tell me that.” In his head, HG could picture the way Edgar was running a hand down his face, even if he couldn’t see him. It was the same gesture Lenore made when she was bone-tired.  “I don’t know what’s going on, I haven’t seen any doctors yet, and the people at the desk don’t know anything.” 

“Edgar, are you-”  
“HG, just get here!” Then Edgar was gone, the dial tone left ringing in HG’s ears. 

And he needs to go, needs to be at that hospital. He needs to be as close to her as he can. He needs to be there for Edgar, who is probably feeling incredibly alone. But first, he needs to sit down before he too collapses. He needs to breathe, needs to calm down before he can find a cab to take him to her. 

Dumping himself into one of his kitchen chairs, HG takes a moment to center himself. He needs to get control of his breathing, stop his hands from shaking. Sucking in several deep breaths, he pictures Lenore and curses himself for not being with her yet, then grabbing his keys and rushing out the door.

As he runs down the stairs, all he can think of is all the wasted time. Five minutes ago, he was trying to decide how to spend their first date; now he’s wondering if the last time he talked to her was the last time he’d  _ ever _ talk to her. Lenore had only been in his life for about a year, but she’d irrevocably changed him, carved a place for herself into his heart. This couldn’t be all of the time they had together. He simply wouldn’t accept that. She had to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, after this one, everything else should be far fluffier. And regular snarking will recommence.
> 
> Sidenote: Never have I ever been to New York City, let alone lived there. If anyone notices any major mistakes in that regard, please let me know. There is only so much Google can help.


	2. dream of better lives, the kind which never hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooped up in a hospital room, Lenore and HG make do with what they've got (but FYI, this totally isn't a date).
> 
> There may be a really bad pun too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey, quick update! Like I said, so much fluffier than that first chapter. This one is in Lenore's POV, although the tenses may get wonky, so apologizing in advance for that. 
> 
> As per usual, please hit me with any questions, comments, or other concerns below.

When she’d questioned how he was able to spend so much time locked up in the hospital with her (not that she minded the company, especially with her brother being more irritable than usual), HG had simply smiled at her.

“Occasionally, it is incredibly convenient that I am my own boss. If I want to work out of my apartment or your hospital room, no one can exactly yell at me for it.”

“But I never see you working!”

“Lenore, you are asleep for most of the day, I can manage to fit everything in then. And besides, being here your room is so much better than wasting away in my office. After all, you’re here.”

The simpleness of his explanation and his small smile had melted away any lingering objections. Not that she’d had many. Unable to express her gratitude for his continual presence verbally, she moved the hand he’d placed in hers hours ago and rested it against her cheek, nuzzling into it a bit. The quiet settled, only broken by the sound of their breathing and the medical equipment monitoring her vitals. 

They stayed there for minutes, hours; she wasn’t exactly sure, but it was the most comfortable she’d felt in a long time. Eventually, she adjusted herself, moving a bit more onto her side so she could see his face better. The soft, content expression he was regarding her with made Lenore smile, and she squeezed his hand again.

Taking it as a sign that she had something to say, HG raised his eyebrow at her. “Yes?”

“Help me up.” Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she flailed slightly until he fumbled to help her adjust the bed and pillows behind her into a comfortable cushion. Once semi-situated, she looked over at him drolly. “Just so you know, as old fashioned and romantic as you holding vigil by my bedside is, this isn’t counting as our first date.” That made him pause in his fussing and tilt his head, baffled by her statement. Plopping back into his chair, he reached for her hand again, his eyes distant, trying to figure out how she’d switched thoughts so abruptly.

“I was hardly going to assume so, but precisely what is your reasoning? Because I fail to see the jump in logic that could have been caused by our previous position.” 

“Professor, I’m literally stuck in the hospital, not exactly feeling the height of romance right now. I mean I can’t even sit up on my own. And that’s beside the fact that all of our friends have been treating my room like Grand Central, coming and going whenever they feel like it. A date, especially a first date, should be private, just between the people going on it. It can be out in public or at home, but if it’s going to be a date, then everyone involved knows that it’s a date.”

“I will endeavor to make sure our first date is perfectly within those guidelines then, my dear Lenore.” Smiling at her, he lifted their joined hands to his lips, gently pressing a kiss to hers.

Touched by his sweetness, she gave him a small, possibly watery grin. “Doesn’t have to be perfect Goggles, just has to be with you.” 

Now, when she’d pictured her first kiss with HG Wells (and she had unashamedly been daydreaming about it for months now), Lenore never would have guessed this is how it would have happened. Of course, she obviously never expected it to happen while she was in the the hospital. No, it would have been after their first date, when he walked her up to her apartment. She’d have been one to initiate the kiss, because even if he had been the one to actually breach the gap and ask her on the date, she was typically the bold one in their relationship. She’d also thought it would probably be a simple peck on the lips, then she’d quickly pull back and smile shyly at him before heading inside.

So when HG stood up and basically wrapped his arms around her to haul her in close, then kissed her passionately, she was a bit surprised. She may have even squeaked. Unfortunately, he proceeded to back off with an alarmed expression, apologizing profusely for any discomfort he may have caused her. 

Rolling her eyes at his reaction, she put a finger over his mouth and stated, “Nope, good squeak, now get back here.” Lenore twined her arms around his neck, and towed HG back to her lips, first kissing him sweetly before returning to the intensity of a moment ago. He responded eagerly, though perhaps a bit more carefully. Willing to take what she could get right now, she moved one hand up to play with his hair, the other staying around his shoulders and fiddling with his collar. 

When her neck began to hurt from the angle, Lenore huffed and tugged on HG’s arm, hoping he would understand her without actually removing his mouth from hers. Luckily, he did and awkwardly climbed onto the bed to rest next to her, alleviating much of the uncomfortable pressure. They resumed kissing, him hovering partially over to her, using one arm to support himself, the other buried in her hair. 

Soon, they were disturbed by her heart monitor, which had begun to spike a bit. Breaking the kiss, she looked at him and tried to form an indignant scowl, though she utterly failed. “There will be no comments about making my heart race HG Wells. None, nada, zilch.”

Smirking, HG gave her another short kiss before moving away, intending to sit back in his abandoned chair. Not wanting to separate from his warmth, Lenore held onto his arm and pouted at him until he conceded and remained on the bed, seated next to her with an arm curled around her shoulders. Happy with his close proximity, Lenore relaxed into her pillows. She was well aware she was gazing at him like a love-struck dork, but she really could have cared less. He was doing the exact same thing anyway, it wasn’t as if he would judge her for it. 

Filtering through the happy bubble she floating in, Lenore remembered a disagreement they’d been having for months. Knowing she could probably get away with anything right now, she brightened. “Oh, and if we’re actually going to have this date, you should totally tell me what your full name is. Because I will totally play the ‘I just had heart surgery’ card if that will get me an actual answer.” And she would too, the mystery of it all and his evasiveness were begin to annoy her.

“Lenore,” he huffed in annoyance and stared up at the ceiling, though she knew he would be unable to resist the puppy eyes she was directing at him in full force. Sensing he had lost the battle, HG leaned back down and hid his face in her hair before finally telling her. “Herbert George. My name is Herbert George Wells.” 

She began to shake with silent laughter, something she could tell he definitely did not appreciate. But honestly… 

“That’s a terrible name.” When he began to pout at her adorably, the only suitable action she could think of was to kiss him again. Which became rather hard as she fought off a fit of giggles. Pulling back, she moved her free hand up to cover her mouth.

“Lenore, quit being mean to me,” he groaned. Looking up at him, Lenore calmed herself and reached for him again, intending to kiss away the embarrassment etched on his face. Before their lips could touch, the door banged open and Ernest sauntered in, halfway through telling a story to Charlotte about a yacht trip he’d taken in Spain. It was a story that nearly all of them had heard on multiple occasions, even if the details tended to change based on Ernest’s blood alcohol level.

Knowing the moment was gone, at least for now, HG and Lenore scooched back to a more socially acceptable difference, though their hands remained tightly clasped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New rule: HG's full name can only be revealed in dire circumstances, like if he's dying or she almost died.  
> Also, I did not realize how hard the kissing was going to be to write, so here's hoping that turned out fine.


	3. trapped in a state of imaginary grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In theory, a quiet night at home is the kind of date that shouldn't be interrupted; right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to use shanghaied as a verb, so automatically this chapter was a win for me. Now I have a night home alone and a bunch of time on my hands, so hopefully I can hammer the kinks out of the last couple chapters. I'm planning on getting the next one out tomorrow, and then the last one on Sunday.
> 
> As for 'Past is Prologue,' I think the next chapter coming out will be either Emily & Annabel (soft and sweet) or Mary Anne & Anne & Ernest (pure comedy). But don't quote me on that, who knows what my brain may come up with. If anyone has a preference, let me know so I can try and focus on that one. 
> 
> You guys know the drill, any questions, comments, etc. down below.

Lenore was finally back to feeling like herself again, free to move around and leave the damn apartment. She never thought she’d actually be this excited to be heading back to work, but she’d missed her little office full of fabric swatches and pictures.

She wanted to get more than just her professional life on track, so when she invited HG over for dinner earlier, she specifically referred to it as a date and made sure that he knew Edgar had been shanghaied into attending a company dinner with his publishers. The pair of them had spent countless hours together in her hospital room, but this was different. It would just be her and HG, no untimely barging in from Ernest or Oscar or anyone else.

A thrill traveled up her spine at the thought of  _ finally _ have some alone time with her… HG. Did he count as a boyfriend if they hadn’t actually gone on a date yet? She liked to think that was where they were heading, and the way he tripped over his tongue in eager acceptance at the invitation seemed to support her theory. Lenore paused, realizing this was the first time in quite a while that she’d been looking forward to calling someone her boyfriend. 

Shaking herself out of that train of thought, she grinned, laughing a bit at how impatient she already felt for her date to arrive. She queued up the movie, picking one that they’d watched together already; it was the only way she would feasibly be able to convince him to ignore it and make out instead. 

Sparing a glance to the clock, she took a calming breath. He was supposed to arrive at six. Of course, knowing HG, he would inevitably be just a bit after six, because the man was forever running late. That gave her plenty of time to finish getting ready and psyching herself up.

Of course, he was also quite good at surprising her, because suddenly she could hear the intercom going off and it was still ten til. Nervously racing to the button, she buzzed him up then took off for the bathroom, doing a quick last-minute check of her appearance (and her breath). Sock sliding back to the door, she opened it just as HG was raising his hand to knock.

Beaming at her, he moved in to peck her on the lips. “Hello Lenore, I come bearing dinner.” Feeling absurdly disappointed in the tiny kiss she’d received, she glanced down to the bags of Chinese takeout in his hands.

“I can see that.” Stepping aside, she let him in and locked the door. Gesturing to her right, she continued, “Why don’t you put those down on the coffee table and take off your coat? I’ve got a movie ready to play, but the drinks are still in the fridge.” Moving into the kitchen, she got the drinks out and paused, rather fun thoughts dancing through her head, still revolving around the somewhat lackluster greeting. Lenore boosted herself onto the counter and sat, contemplating her next move when HG called out from the main room.

“Why  _ Avengers _ ? We’ve already seen that, multiple times might I add.” 

Holding in the eye roll at his obliviousness to her plans, she sighed and murmured to herself. “Oh young padawan, still so much have you to learn.” Raising her voice, she added, “Come here, help me with the drinks.”

“Lenore, I’m sure you’re completely capable of…” HG trailed off when he saw her sitting on the counter, coquettishly beckoning him towards her with a crooked finger. Once he was close enough, she reeled him in for a thorough kiss, melting into him as he stepped between her parted thighs. Locking both her arms and legs around him, she drew them chest to chest. Unlike in her hospital bed, here she was on an equal playing field. And Lenore intended to play.

She opened her mouth to him, trying to draw him deeper into the kiss, to bring him as close as she possibly could. Leaving one hand in his hair, the other began to wander, dancing across his back and shoulders. She trailed away from his mouth, nipping across his jaw and down his neck, where she stayed, fully intending to leave her mark, until his hands shot up to return her lips to his. 

They continued on, their kisses no longer hesitant, but demanding, wanting, leaving them both gasping for breath in the tight space between their mouths. One of her hands snaked down, untucking his shirt and delving under it, making him moan at the cool rush of air and touch. He reciprocated by moving his own hands down, lightly stopping at her hem to fiddle for a moment, before cautiously entering uncharted waters.

His fingers traced patterns she couldn’t determine up her spine and across her ribs, until they grazed the round scars on her side, left from the drainage ports after the surgery. Stuttering, HG pulled his hands away, suddenly unsure. Mentally rolling her eyes, Lenore shifted his hands back under her shirt, whispering “I’m fine,” into his mouth, cutting off any objections with her tongue.

Eventually, the kisses slow, longer pauses in between until finally, breathlessly, Lenore pulled away, impishly grinning at his stunned face. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“For future reference, that’s how you say hello to a girl you’re on a date with.”

He nodded, gaze dazed and unfocused. “Duly noted.”

She grabbed his hand and started directing him into the other room. “Now c’mon, I want to eat the food while it’s still warm.” 

“Yes dear.” Apparently, he was still a little in shock from her antics, a reaction Lenore felt incredibly proud to be the cause of. 

Ushering him over to the couch, she pushed him down into the corner before curling up next to him and reaching for the dumplings and a pair of chopsticks. Stuffing one into her mouth, she held up the box for him. “Want one?”

“I love you.” It seemed an unintentional admission on HG’s part, since he looked just as surprised as she felt. His declaration was completely unexpected and totally out of the blue, but he floored her with the complete sincerity lacing his tone. 

Looking back down at the dumplings, she picked up another, absentmindedly twirling it around with the chopsticks before setting everything down on the table. Looking directly into his eyes, she said, very solemnly, “I know.” 

And she did know.  Lenore had realized just how much he loved her when she woke up in the hospital and he was there with Edgar, looking like death had warmed over, grasping her hand like a lifeline. And she knew she loved him too; there was no one she’d rather have waiting for her to wake up. It may have taken them awhile to get to that point, but they made it. HG and the kind of love he filled her with, it was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. 

Of course, that didn’t mean she wasn’t allowed to have some fun at his expense.

“Lenore!” 

Startled out of her reverie, she giggled at his aghast expression and looped her arms around his neck. “Relax Goggles, I love you too. Just thought I’d let you have your nerd moment.”

All pretense of actually eating dinner forgotten, HG reached for her again, their mouths barely brushing before his phone began to ring. Dropping his head to her shoulder, he groaned. “Noooooo.”

Tilting her eyes to the ceiling, she sighed. “That’s your work phone isn’t it?” Though muffled, she heard a noise she assumed was agreement. “So you should answer it, shouldn’t you?” Now he picked his head back, gazing at her intensely.

“Yes, I should, but I really don’t want to.”

“And as much as I really don’t want you to either, you are the boss. I assume if you’re getting a call after hours, it’s probably important.”

Grumbling, he answered his phone and got up off the couch, moving over to stand by the window. Watching as he grew more and more agitated the longer he took the call, Lenore’s heart began to sink, knowing their date would be cut short before it ever actually began. When he hung up several minutes later, his forlorn grimace was all the explanation she needed.

Quietly, she said, “You have to go, don’t you?”

Rubbing his forehead, he cracked his neck and looked her in the eyes sadly. “Yes, it seems the entire computer network has shut down. Unfortunately with the Japan deal coming up in two days, it really must be fixed tonight.”

“One would think that this would be a problem that a bunch of engineers could solve on their own.” Raising an eyebrow, she folded her arms across her chest, knowing she appeared far more combative than she was actually feeling right now. She didn’t blame him for this debacle of course, but no girl enjoyed an impromptu cancellation.

Walking over to stand with her, HG folded her into his arms, kissing her on the forehead. In a soothing tone, he explained, “Apparently, they need me to come and oversee everything personally, otherwise I can’t sign off on anything. It’s in my damn contract. My preference to stay and eat dinner with my girlfriend went rather unheeded.” His sheepish grin and casual definition of their relationship dissolved most of her ire, leaving the rest of it for whichever underling responsible for ruining her night.

“I’ll still be here, and we can always reschedule, HG. It took us this long to get here, we can stand to wait awhile longer.”

“I know. I need to go, otherwise nothing will ever get done over there.”

“Go on, go save the day. I love you.” Handing him his coat, Lenore wrapped his scarf around his neck and pulled him in for a lingering peck on the lips.

Smiling down at her, he brushed a hand over her cheek. “I love you too.” And then he left, off to go rescue his company. And there she remained, silently cursing universe for its horrific sense of timing.


	4. it’s getting better, all the time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A foot pop, a pinkie swear, and a break-up... in that order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy... this is not when I thought this would be going up. Sorry?
> 
> In my defense, it has been a few crazy weeks (I turned 21! And my cousin got engaged! And I could not get this chapter to cooperate!). Also I rewrote about half this chapter and added in a bunch of Edgar. He even gets his own character tag!
> 
> I'm not even going to attempt to say when the final chapter will be up, because I will inevitably fail. But, hopefully soon. Same on Past is Prologue.
> 
> Any questions, commentary, or haranguing me on procrastination, please leave a message in the comment section!

Rolling back his shoulders and cracking his neck, HG adjusted his grip on the flowers in his left hand as he bounded up the steps. Tonight, he and Lenore had reservations at her favorite restaurant, where they would have dinner and dessert, and then perhaps go for a romantic walk amongst the lights of New York before returning to her apartment to say goodnight. Reaching the sixth floor, he gathered himself with a deep breath before knocking firmly. 

The door immediately swung open as a dazzling Lenore grinned at him. “Hi. Oh, flowers!”

Mentally patting himself on the back while she smelled the roses, he took a moment to admire Lenore and the breathtaking red dress she was wearing. “You look beautiful Lenore.” 

“Why thank you, my dear Professor.” Smiling coyly, she gave him a blatant onceover. “You look quite dashing yourself. And not a grease smudge to be seen, and really you aren’t even working with the tech most days, yet honestly every time I see you, you have-” 

Cut of by her own gasp, Lenore stumbled into his arms as he yanked her into him. Her hands fluttering on his chest, she looked about to chastise him when he grinned at her unrepentantly and covered her open mouth with a kiss. He liked to think that made up for cutting her off, and she didn’t seem to be mad at him, if the enthusiasm with which she was kissing him was any indication. 

Absorbed in her as he was, the abrupt clatter from just behind Lenore startled him. Especially when she pulled away to curse under her breath and rub the heel of her foot. Confused, he asked her, “What was-”

Shaking her head, she reached around his neck, bringing them back together. He vaguely heard (or rather, felt) her mumble, “Nothing, back to the kissing,” against his lips before he became quite preoccupied once again. Deciding he wanted to try something a bit different, he gave her one more searing kiss before removing his lips from hers altogether. 

Peppering kisses along her jaw, he teased her with light nips, finally coming to a stop just behind her ear, nose buried in her hair. Breathless, Lenore placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him gently until he was in front of her, bumping their noses together. “What’s gotten into you? Not that I’m complaining, like at all.”

“You did say that was how I was supposed to greet a woman I’m going out on a date with.”

She looked up at him through her lashes. “I did, didn’t I?” 

“Yes, and I assumed it would be in my best interests to make sure I fulfilled every outlined duty henceforth as your boyfriend. Tell me, how am I doing thus far?”

“Wells, you are definitely meeting any and all requirements. Now, I might be persuaded to continue with that greeting, if you’re amenable of course.”

“As the lady suggests.” Smirking, Lenore pulled him back to her lips, threading her hands into his hair. He smiled into her mouth as he grasped her waist, bringing her in closer again, until they were flush against each other, chest to chest. 

Gradually, HG began to notice the uncomfortable whine emanating from inside the apartment. He also remembered they were making out in the middle of the hallway, completely within the view of his best friend, otherwise known as his girlfriend’s brother, who was scowling at them from the couch. Reluctantly removing himself from Lenore, HG’s eyes darted between her confused face and Edgar’s increasingly red complexion.

Realizing they’d stopped kissing, Edgar stood up and crossed his arms. Radiating brotherly disapproval, he mockingly stated, “Oh, so now you realize I’m right here.”

Realizing what HG’s distraction had been caused by, she turned in his arms, facing Edgar. “Well, we were a bit distracted…” Lenore smugly informed him.

Goading him had probably not been the wisest course of action, as Edgar exploded in indignation, throwing his hands up. “Really, you were just going to ignore me? Because that’s mature. This was my apartment first Lenore! You just moved in without asking! Hey what are you- Lenore, HG, seriously. Stop trying to… I’m not entirely sure what you’re trying to do, but stop it for Christ’s sake.”

In the midst of Edgar’s ranting, Lenore had reached into HG’s back pocket and squeezed, immediately focusing his attention squarely on her, upon which she dragged his head down and -

“Oi, that’s my sister!” 

“So? He’s my boyfriend. Your point is?” At this point, HG decided to let Lenore handle her brother; Poe sibling spats were never something to get in the middle of.

“You can’t just…  _ do that _ . You’re in public. So quit it with all the, all the-”

“Kissing? Making out? Being gross and happy and disgusting?” Her voice had grown more and more saccharine sweet as each word dripped out of her mouth. 

“Stop rubbing it in my face will you? Just, not while I’m here, okay? I’m happy that you guys are happy, God knows it took the pair of you long enough, but-”  _ I’m not happy _ rang unspoken in the tense silence that followed. 

Heartbreaking understanding on her face, Lenore finally walked over to Edgar and wrapped her arms around him. After standing there awkwardly for a moment, he returned the hug, resting his head on her hair. “Oh sweets. Yes, I’ll stop making out with HG in front of you. Pinky promise.” Holding out her hand expectantly, she waited. Knowing her brother was just being stubborn, she poked him until he acquiesced, finally hooking their pinkies together and shaking them.

When Edgar suddenly started to smile at her, HG became more confused. “He makes your foot pop.” Apparently usage of non-sequiturs run in the Poe family.

“I know, it’s amazing. You’ll have that someday, I know you will.”

Feeling confused and more than a bit out of place, HG glanced down at his watch, immediately noticing they were in danger of running late. “Um, Lenore? We should probably be leaving soon if we want to make the reservation.” Not that he wanted to break up the moment she and Edgar were having, but he did actually want to go on their date.

“Yes, yes of course.” Leaning her head back, she adopted a stern look as she made eye contact with her brother. “Edgar… we’ll talk later.”

“No we won’t.”

“You can bet your ass we will. Bye baby bro.” Kissing his cheek, she flounced back to the door, pulled on her coat, and picked up her clutch.

Wiping off the red lipstick print in exasperation, Edgar rolled his eyes. In the manner of one reciting his side of a fond argument, he replied, “You are eight minutes older.”

“Respect your elders boy!” Grinning, Lenore linked her fingers with HG’s and headed for the stairs. 

Sticking his head out the door, Edgar called, “And bring my sister back in one piece Wells!”

Rolling her eyes up at her boyfriend, Lenore yelled behind them, “Goodbye Edgar!” After hearing the door slam close, she laughed, a sound HG would never tire of listening to. 

“I shall never understand how siblings work.”

“I’m not exactly sure you should consider Edgar and me a prime example of healthy sibling interaction. We’re kind of weird. But mostly him.”

“Of course, you’re completely normal and not strange at all.”

“Hey, I never said I wasn’t weird, just that it’s mostly him. After all, normal is boring. I appreciate a bit of endearing eccentricity in my life.”  

“I’m assuming I should feel flattered here.”

“You can feel however you want, I‘m going to go catch us a cab. It’s cold and we have a reservation to make.” Trailing after her more slowly, HG watched as Lenore jostled tourists out of the way, elbowing and dodging her way to the curb. Raising her hand, she quickly hailed a cab and glanced back over er shoulder at him in mocking triumph. Racing ahead to open the door, he helped her inside then climbed in after, tripping over his foot and landing awkwardly half on Lenore’s legs. 

Chuckling, she gave the driver the name of the restaurant and helped a blushing HG out of her lap. “You’re such a dork.”

“Yes, but I’m your dork.”

“That you are babe, that you are.” Lapsing into contented silence, they held hands the entire ride. Once they’d arrived and paid the cabbie, they made their way inside. Learning they had a few minutes until their table was ready, Lenore made a beeline for the bar, pulling HG along behind her. Martini and wine glasses in hand, they returned to the hostess, who led them to their table.

After being seated, HG couldn’t hold his question in any longer. “What does ‘he makes your foot pop’ mean? Your brother said it earlier and I assume it was about me, but honestly I cannot decipher what on earth that could possibly mean?”

Taking a deep breath, she began with, “So you know the movie  _ Princess Diaries _ ?”

“I know vaguely what it’s about, yes.” 

Eyes wide, she stated vehemently, “Okay, that needs to be corrected, we’re watching it together.”  

Surprised at her intensity, he nodded his head fervently. “Yes, of course, my dear Lenore.” 

“Good, it’s always been one of my favorites.” Shaking her head a little, she returned to her previous thought, though much more calmly. “Anyways, so Mia, the aforementioned princess of Genovia; she wants her first real kiss to be like in the old movies, when a girl would get seriously kissed, her foot would just kind of pop behind her. It was a visual device to show she was into the kissing. And happy.”

“Your foot popped when you were kissing me?” He felt absurdly happy at the prospect.

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”

“Immensely.” And smug, he also felt a bit smug. 

Rolling her eyes in mock derision, she haughtily continued, “Yes, Professor, my foot popped and I knocked it against the table near the front door.”

“Oh, that was you?”

Tilting her head, she drawled, “We don’t actually have ghosts living in the apartment. That’s just a story Ernest came up with after knocking a bunch of shit over because he was drunk.”

“I know that, but I was a bit preoccupied at the time.”

“Of course you were, I was there.” Pausing, she beamed at him. He laughed, always admiring of her self confidence. “Does that satisfy your curiosity then?”

“You explained the foot popping thing, but why does  _ Edgar _ know that?” Because really, that was the aspect of the whole puzzle that was mystifying him. 

Sipping her martini, she adopted a nostalgic expression. “Edgar may or may not have been forced to sit through that movie an ungodly number of times when we were younger.  I mean, he didn’t object to it as much as when I made him watch  _ Mean Girls _ , so I’d say I won. Oh, and he can totally quote-”

Cut off by her ringing phone, she looked to him apologetically before pulling it out of her purse and answering it. “Hey- wait, babes, I need you to slow down. Take deep breaths.” Glancing back across the table, she mouthed  _ Annabel _ to him. Watching as she focused her attention back to her best friend’s voice, HG tried to determine what was happening based on the half of the conversation he could hear. “Okay, what happened?” Whatever it was Annabel had said, it was unexpected, as Lenore’s eyes grew wide in shock. “You and Eddie broke up?” That would certainly justify the shocked expression. 

“No, no, no. Sweets, no, it’s not- well then he’s a jackass Anna. No, I’m not saying I told you so, I’m saying- that’s not what I’m saying Anna Banana. I’m saying I love you and obviously I’m on your side.” Heart sinking, he had a feeling this would be another attempted date that ended far too early.  “No, I’m sure I won’t change my mind. Hon, I don’t even know what even happened, but I could never hate you.” Catching her eye, he mimed signing a check, mouthing _ should I ask for the bill? _ to her. She nodded sadly, though not before mouthing  _ I’m sorry _ . 

As he was flagging down their waitress to pay for their drinks, he saw Lenore bolt upright in her chair. “Wait, don’t go up there. No, Edgar’s there. No, I’m not saying avoid Edgar, I’m just saying maybe, okay yes, I’m saying maybe avoid Edgar right now.” Finally getting the attention of the server, HG quickly asked for the check to be brought over. 

Turning back to Lenore, he saw her slightly exasperated expression. “Annabel, I’m not actually in my apartment. I’m out on a date. Yes, with HG! Who else would… Sweets, we got together a while ago. He asked me out right before… You are not a terrible friend, there was kind of a lot going on, especially if you and Eddie were having issues.”  

Lenore listened again for a moment before seemingly making up her mind to take charge. “Okay, you know what, I’ll be over soon. I’ll grab some Ben and Jerry’s and pajamas and we’ll have girls night, just the two of us, okay? We can watch chick flicks and- okay no chick flicks. Action movies? Sports movies? Disney movies? Alright, Disney movies it is. No, it’s fine, we’re fine, I’ll see you soon. Love you, bye.” Hanging up, she put her phone down before rubbing her forehead.

Reaching across the table, he grabbed her free hand, rubbing the back of her palm. Quietly, he informed her, “The waitress is coming with the check soon, but if you want to head out now, we’re taking separate cabs home anyway, so I can understand if you want to get back to Annabel sooner.”

Standing up, she walked around to his side of the table, pulling him into a hug. Muffled against his shoulder, he heard her murmur, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” 

“But it sucks! I’ve been so excited for this, especially after last time. The universe hates us, we’re cursed or karmically screwed over!” She huffed, stomping her foot childishly. 

“Or we can just blame Eddie.”

“Or that. I like that plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the Annabel and Eddie breakup has been entered in the timeline of the many, many friends AU!   
> *Slide mental camera to Edgar throwing confetti around the apartment*
> 
> Regarding the whole Princess Diaries referencing: I adore that movie (so freaking quotable), but book!Michael Moscovitz was one of my first literary crushes. He was just so very swoon-worthy. And the 10th book was awesome, and then there's the new one and EEEEE, I love the Princess Diaries books.


	5. making love to you was never second best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A New Year's Eve party at Oscar Wilde's house, what ever could happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while... I added this chapter into the story because the transition between the last chapter and the next one wasn't working right, it needed another piece to fit the way I wanted it too. Although I'm rewriting a lot of that next one anyways. But yeah, finally got this one done, it's a bit shorter than most of the others, but it acts as more of an interlude, giving more of a glimpse into the Lenore/HG dynamic than any real plot. But hey, only one chapter left.
> 
> And I've been working on the Mary Anne, Anne, & Ernest chapter of 'Past is Prologue,' so here's hoping that will be up soon. And the next chapter of 'don't trust the devil inside' is just about ready too.
> 
> Any questions, comments, or other interpretive dance, let me know in the box below!

Pushing her hair from her face as he pulled back from her neck, HG started asking, “So as your date for the evening-”

Lenore cut him off indignantly, “This is not a date!” 

“Oh really? Because this would say otherwise.” Smirking, his rubbed his fingers over the lightly forming hickey on her neck. She swatted at him, blushing deeply in the dim light of the single bulb above them.

“Nope, not a date. Everyone else is here and we’re at Oscar’s house, so it’s not a date.”

“Technically, we’re hiding in Oscar’s closet.”

“If you want to talk semantics, we were making out in Oscar’s closet.”

“Anyways, I was going to ask if you were having fun. And also if you wanted to tell all of them tonight.”

Arching an eyebrow at him, Lenore made a face. “I’m pretty sure they all know already.”

“But don’t you want to flaunt having a boyfriend in Charlotte’s face?”

Gasping theatrically, she swooned in his arms. “So evil! I like it.” She grinned up at him, batting her eyelashes. “When did you get this devious?”

HG snorted, “About a week after I met you.”

“It took a whole week? Damn, I’m slipping.” Lenore was pouting at him, and it was adorable.

Clearing his throat, he tried to get back on topic. “So, are we leaving this closet any time soon? It is well known prime real estate for secret rendezvous, I’m amazed Oscar and this week’s boy toy haven’t come crashing in here yet.”

“This one apparently has been granted hook-up-in-the-bedroom status. Oscar likes him. And personally, I’m more surprised we haven’t been interrupted by Ernest yet.”

“I think Charlotte has been keeping him busy.”

“Ew, really?”

“I meant by playing bartender, but now that I’m thinking about it, they do seem to disappear off together quite a bit.” Memories started whirring in his mind, of past social gatherings in which both of their annoying friends would magically vanish and then reappear separately, always three minutes apart, half an hour later, like clockwork… Something could be happening, but this was all conjecture, and either way, Charlotte hated Ernest, could barely stand to be seen next to him. His girlfriend interrupted HG’s mental math by smacking him on the shoulder. He looked down to see a revolted expression on her face.

“Okay, brain bleach! So much mental scrubbing necessary now! Ugh. Anyways, back up. Charlotte, prissy, elitist Charlotte Bronte, has actually stooped to pouring drinks for other people? What parallel dimension have we travelled to Professor?”

Laughing, he answered, “The one where Louisa made a vegan martini for Charlotte. Who promptly spewed it back out and now refuses to let anyone else near the liquor cabinet.”

She began giggling helplessly, leaning further into his shoulder for support. “Oh my god, please tell me someone has a picture or video of that. I must see it. Though I did not know vegan martinis were a thing.”

“They’re not, Louisa is just, well Louisa. I mean, they’re real, but no one drinks them.” Thinking about the sickly green concoction was making him nauseous all on its own.

Based on the way Lenore was scrunching up her nose, she agreed. “Ew.”

“Precisely.”

Shaking her head to clear it of disgusting mental images, she brought them back to their original conversation. “Regarding the whole ‘leaving the closet’ thing, I’m all for making out obnoxiously in front of everyone at midnight. I just wasn’t sure if you would be ready for, you know, public displays of affection.”

“Lenore, I am dating my favorite person in the world. I am completely okay with kissing you like an idiot in public, especially if the ‘public’ just means in front of our friends.”

“See, sometimes you are just ridiculously sweet and it makes want to jump your b-” she cut herself off, gaping at her own words, before quickly continuing, “ -make out with you. A lot.” 

“That wasn’t what you were going to say.” He was smiling so widely it was a wonder his face hadn’t cracked in half.

Blushing again, she argued with him, “Yes it was!” Her face was right in front of his again, just a breath away.

Whispering, he cradled her face, “No it wasn-oomph!” Unwilling to let him continue, Lenore pounced, effectively cutting off all thought processes not related to her mouth and her hands and her body pushed up between him and the wall. Wrapping one of her legs around his waist, HG moaned into her mouth, perfectly happy to concede the verbal spar.

Suffice to say, they barely made it out of the closet for the midnight countdown.


	6. the future's open wide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date night going off without a hitch seems a bit too good to be true...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! It's done! Yay! Sorry this took for freaking ever to get out, but I hope it was worth the wait.
> 
> I apologize for the long absence of updates, but finals season sucks, so will be so glad when that's over next Thursday (for me at least). I then have three weeks before summer classes start up, so hopefully I'll have an update of don't trust the devil inside set to go soon. I also may decide to ignore studying for Business Law again, and it might pop up later this week.
> 
> Anywho, please leave any questions, comments, and other means of communication below, I love seeing what you guys think!

Lenore was at the office, leaning back in her chair with her feet up on the clean part of her desk, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. It was Friday afternoon, and she did not give a shit what anyone thought of her behavior. She had a date tonight.

“So, the plan is dinner at your place at seven, right?”

“The plans haven’t changed in the past two minutes Lenore.”

“Oh hush you. I swear I’m not purposefully being neurotic, I just want tonight to go perfectly.” Sighing, Lenore’s anxiety over the evening bubbled up again, leading her to sheepishly rush through the next question. “And we’re having?”

“We’re getting takeout from Mia Z’s, as previously agreed upon.”

“Sounds perfect, I don’t think we need the entirety of the New York Fire Department crashing a date, our friends seem do that enough all on their own. And remember-”

HG cut her off, rattling off Lenore’s favorite order by memory. “‘Fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken and all the extra garlic, with a side salad and fresh breadsticks.’ Did I miss anything? I promise I am completely capable of planning a proper date Lenore, scout’s honor.” He paused, the rest of her comment coming back to him, before continuing indignantly, “And I am not that bad of a cook!”

“Please, you know you love the garlic. Whatever you end up with is also going to have a shit ton of garlic in it, we’re having Italian, it’s kind of a given. Hate to break it to you my dear Professor, but you got kicked out of the Boy Scouts. I do believe it was for setting three tents on fire, if I’m recollecting that lovely story correctly- ”

“-it’s not like there was anything in any of them! We had barely begun to set up camp!”

“You were twelve!”

“So? I’ve always been advanced for my age!”

“Okay, discontinuing that train of thought, you are so completely and utterly that bad of a cook. Baking, I will totally agree, you bake amazingly well. There is a reason you’re always in charge of dessert. But cooking? Nope, you suck at cooking.”

“Balderdash, cooking is incredibly difficult! Baking is easy, all you have to do is follow the directions and stick everything in the oven. One has to pay far more attention when cooking and make adjustments on the fly and I become distracted much too easily and then we end up with a mushy ball of spaghetti.”

“Relax, babe. I’m just teasing. I know enough to make sure we’d survive if all the takeout joints in the city suffered an untimely end, I promise.” Smiling softly to herself, she was about to keep poking at her boyfriend’s culinary ineptitude when her phone started to vibrate again. Pulling it away from her ear, Lenore glanced down at the caller ID. “Hang on, our favorite drama king is calling on the other line, I should probably grab that.”

“Alright, I’ll see you tonight, I love you.”

“Love you too Goggles. Okay, now I gotta go. Later gator!” Mentally floating on cloud nine, she hung up, switching over to the call from Oscar. Before she could even say hi, he started rambling.

“Lenore! Why on earth were you taking so long to answer your bloody phone? Nevermind, more important gossip is at stake. Did you hear about what just happened with Charlotte and Anton? Apparently, they were dating! Even though she was totally riding solo at the party for New Years! And making eyes at Ernest, which is just ick, I mean hello, it’s Ernest, I wouldn’t date him if you paid me. Not that Lottie dearest such a bloody prize herself! Plus, didn’t she used to have a thing for- oh nevermind, not important right now! Where was I? Oh, right, anyways, now she and Anton broke up! And she’s being cross with me, well, more of an uptight bitch with me than normal, in any case. Do you think that means he wants to hook up with me again? I mean, I know it was just a few times and it was _months_ ago, but she’s acting so pissed at me, that has to be it, right?” Finally stopping for breath, Oscar sucked in a deep gasp of air, relieving his poor overworked lungs.

Rolling her eyes, Lenore adopted an overly perky tone and chirped obnoxiously, “Hello, Oscar, how are you? Oh I’m feeling fabulous, thanks so much for asking. Charlotte and Anton were secretly dating and then they broke up? Gasp, so scandalous!” For full effect, even if he couldn’t see her, she mockingly swooned back in her chair, hand to her forehead.

“You’re hilarious Lenore, truly hysterical. Now, I need your help,” he pronounced. Quite seriously, Oscar pondered, “Do you think ‘frenemies before men in my sheets’ would be an applicable motto here?”

Snorting loudly, she responded, “Babes, not actually a saying.”

“I don’t care in the least, it’s appropriate.” Oh good Lord, he actually sounded offended.

“You’re never appropriate.”

“True, oh well. We need to get dinner tonight, I must call a strategy meeting to determine if I’m allowed to go after that scrumptious hunk of man.”

Bolting upright, she braced herself for a long argument. “I can’t tonight Oscar. I have plans already.”

“What?”

“Plans, I have them.”

“Well cancel them, we need to have a council of war.”

“I am not canceling my date with HG again!”

“But-”

“Nope. Not happening. We are going on this date if I have to stick the rest of you in a padded cell for the duration of it.”

“Mean. Charlotte would murder me in minutes and I doubt you want to put your brother and Ernest together in a confined space, especially with Annabel.”

“The rest of you can buffer. And besides, Edgar has been surprisingly sedate in his celebrations after the breakup. I’ve only caught him dancing in the kitchen like twice. This week.” Thinking about it, Lenore added, “I’d honestly be more worried about him decking Ernest if he propositions her again. I do not need to deal with the hospital paperwork if he breaks his hand. Not that she can’t deal with the idiot on her own, but Edgar is feeling euphoric and white knight-like right now.”

“This is all hypothetical you know. You can’t actually lock all of your friends away just so you can get some.”

“Exactly, it’s all hypothetical so I have plausible deniability. Plus, I’ll have a foolproof alibi as of seven. Besides, this is not about getting some!” Realizing how loud she’d gotten, Lenore lowered her voice and tersely whispered, “Okay, not just about getting some, because trust me, that needs to happen too.”

Her friend burst into laughter over the phone, which was not helping his case, _at all_.

“Screw you, Oscar, I want to fucking jump my boyfriend alright, so fuck you. No, this is about the fact that HG and I haven’t been able to be alone for more than like half an hour without getting interrupted! I mean, seriously, we’re cursed! We haven’t had a complete date yet. And all of you suck, because our friends are like half the problem.”

“Calm your tits, Poe, you’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I though? Am I really? I needed to have surgery, nobody that we know is capable of knocking, the fucking computers broke, Annabel and Eddie broke up, and we made out in your closet. None of these things equal a date! Hell, none of those things even equal third base!” Chest heaving, Lenore realized she was way too worked up to get anything else done for the day. “Damnit, okay, I need to leave before I bite anyone’s head off.” Beginning her end of the day routine, she listened as Oscar spoke in his patented _dial down the wonko_ voice, officially coined as such by Mary Anne during an extended episode of writer’s block.

“Okay, I have basically no idea what any of that means, because you’re acting more than a bit bonkers. And please don’t tell me you’ve decapitated anyone today, because I’m assuming life in the Big House puts a damper on the hotly anticipated sexy times with the boytoy.” Oscar rolled the last words, laced with so much innuendo that Lenore tripped and banged her head against the wall. Swearing at herself, she could just hear her friend’s trilling laugh before he continued.

“Just go and enjoy your date, I’ll keep the masses from descending, barring an actual emergency, in which case, you can bet your ass I’m calling you. There is no way in hell I’m dealing with one of those without someone else who could possibly be deemed a semi-rational adult.” Which was entirely reasonable, because the frequency at which their friends ended up in the hospital or overnight lock-up was borderline terrifying to think about.

“How exactly are you planning on doing so?”

She could see his habitual generous hand-waving in her head. “Don’t worry your pretty little head over it. Feel free to primp and pamper as needed, as I’m sure in my utter brilliance I can come up with some way to distract them for the whole night. As payment for such a wonderful good deed, I expect full details tomorrow at our strategy meeting, darling. Hmm, maybe we can do brunch.”

Finally realizing he was entirely serious about herding the cats, a grin broke out over Lenore’s face as she rushed to the elevator. “I’m going to hug you tomorrow, so freaking hard. Thanks Oscar, really. Thank you.”

“Oh quit gushing, you’ve stroked my ego enough. Now, I’d say let’s grab breakfast, but tomorrow’s Saturday, and I highly doubt you’ll be up anytime before eleven, so brunch seems necessary.” The wiggling eyebrows were practically audible through the phone. “And you are giving me all of the details. I’m in a dry spell here.”

By now, she was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for the ground level button to light up. The easy banter was pleasantly distracting, but damn if she didn’t want to fast-forward a few hours. “And that guy you were hooking up with last week at the party was all a figment of my imagination?” That didn’t mean she couldn’t get Oscar back for all the earlier teasing.

Sniffing, Oscar corrected her haughtily,“A _romantic_ dry spell bitch. I am having exactly as much sex as I want to be having, thank you very much. It’s the sappy romance part that’s lacking.”

Smirking, she cooed, “Aww, hook-up prince Oscar wants to be romanced.”

“You know I can invent all sorts of ways to crash your date, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” _Ding_. Finally let out of the crushing mob leaving work, Lenore headed for the exit, then stopped short when she saw who was standing just inside the lobby. Switching direction, she grinned widely and cut off Oscar’s retort. “It appears my date has mysteriously arrived early to whisk me away from work, so I’m gonna go. Later Oscar. And thanks for the whole distracting everyone thing.”

Sighing, he replied melodramatically, “Fine, leave me and go be romanced and ravished by your wonderful boyfriend. Don’t forget to be safe and use protection!”

“I’m hanging up now!”

“Remember, all the details!”

“Goodbye Oscar!” Laughing, Lenore tossed her phone into her purse before running the last few steps and hurling herself into HG’s waiting arms. Nose buried in his scarf, she felt a sense of contentedness she hadn’t realized she was missing settle in. Glancing up through her eyelashes, Lenore pressed her lips to his cheek, cold from the January chill. “Hi.”

“Hello my dear Lenore.” Warmth pervading his tone, HG tilted her head upwards, kissing her gently once, twice before resting their foreheads together. “Apparently, I have been uttered useless and distracted all day. My assistant basically forced me out of the building, said that they could handle everything until Monday.” Tucking a loose curl behind her ear, he added, “I came straight here.”

“I’m glad you did, Oscar had to talk me off a cliff.” At his questioning glance, she shrugged. “Nothing bad, just want tonight to actually happen. He has agreed to amuse to children for the night, barring extreme circumstances.”

“How thoughtful of him.”

“I owe him brunch and gossip tomorrow.”

“Ah, so not entirely selfless.”

“Well, he wanted to grab dinner and figure out if he could hook up with Charlotte’s-”

Cutting her off, he rumbled, “Lenore, I could not possibly care less right now.” Still locked in his arms, Lenore found herself reeled in again, engaged in a heady, needy kiss. One of his hands grasping her braid, she felt every ounce of love and want poured into it, losing herself to the electrifying sensation and kindling desire that had been simmering for weeks, possibly months. Remembering where they were was difficult when HG seemed hellbound to erase any thought not of him, though Lenore’s remaining shreds of common sense reminded her they were bordering on the lines of inappropriate for public viewing. Determined to keep a level head, she abruptly pulled away, stopping his lips from chasing hers with a finger.

“Okay, hang on.” Undeterred by her attempted stern look, HG lightly kissed the finger still holding his lips back. Rolling her eyes, she removed it and tried not to giggle when he pouted. “Babe, not helping. We need to head back to your apartment, like now. I am not getting arrested for public indecency at work. Now let’s move. We can always call for Mia Z’s later.”

Placing a hand to his chin, he pretended to mull the idea over before holding out his elbow. “A sound plan. Shall we?”

Locking her arm with his, she smiled. “Oh, we shall.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then they banged. The End.
> 
> Considering this chapter was finally supposed to be about their first real date, there is a distinct lack of any actual date time.


End file.
